19-20 Central Division

[Ararana]

The gauntlet of death continues. Here's the breakdown (shamelessly stolen from the Athletic):




IN: Olli Maata, Calvin De Haan, Andrew Shaw, Ryan Carpenter, Robin Kehner

OUT: Gustav Forsling, Anton Forsberg, Dominik Kahun, Marcus Kruger




IN: Kevin Connauton, Andre Burakovsky, Bowen Byram, Joonas Donskoi, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Calle Rosen, Nazem Kadri

OUT: Carl Soderberg, Patrik Nemeth, Sven Andrighetto, Gabriel Bourque, Derick Brassard, Alexander Kerfoot, Tyson Barrie




IN: Joe Pavelski, Cory Perry, Andrej Sekera

OUT: Mats Zuccarello, Typer Pitlick, Ryan Hartman, Brett Ritche, Valeri Nichushkin, Jason Spezza




IN: Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman

OUT: Eric Fehr




IN: Matt Duchene

OUT: PK Subban, Wayne Simmonds




IN:

OUT: (likely) Patrick Maroon




IN: Neal Pionk

OUT: Jacob Trouba, Kevin Hayes, Brandon Tanev, Tyler Myers


Now that we have a, mostly intact, idea of what these teams will look like lets spin up the hot takes and projections.

The obvious ones here:

Winnipeg is going to have a bad time
Dallas and Minnesota better win soon

Chicago:

Click to read more...

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Great division. With the improvements Chicago made, I’d say Minni is the only bad team in the central.

The Avs will have their work cut out for them to earn a top three spot. Nashville and Chicago are at least aging, which is nice, but they’ll still be extremely formidable this season.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Not a single bad team in the division, the Avs could miss the playoffs especially if there are key injuries or the goaltending is shaky.

 

[Ivan13]

Jets, Preds and Avs got worse, rest got better.

 

[dahrougem2]

Man... I'm cautiously optimistic about the season, but boy when you look at those rosters... we are so, so much faster than every single team in this division it isn't even funny. We're built completely differently.

The Blackhawks might seriously have the slowest defence in the NHL. Dallas added three slower players in Pavelski, Perry, and Sekera. Minnesota is already slow and added Zuccarello. Winnipeg lost Trouba, Tanev, and Myers and haven't replaced any of them yet, AND still have to pay Patrik Laine.

This division is legitimately ours for the taking.

 

[S E P H]

I think we got...

1. Nashville
2. Dallas (interchangeable)
3. Colorado (interchangeable)
4. St. Louis (interchangeable)
5. Chicago/Winnipeg
6. Minnesota

Jets, Preds and Avs got worse, rest got better.

What? You're going to have to explain how Nashville got worse? Granted Duchene and Johansen are the biggest need of sports psychologists in the league, they are so much better than whatever they were doing with RJ and Turris. Subban was another luxury piece who wasn't being able to be the "man" and was being underutilized by PV. They still got Ekholm, Josi, Ellis, and Fabbro as a main four with two calibre centres leading the offence. They're the best team in the Central easily. Blues just won the Cup, yeah yeah yeah, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see them miss the postseason next year. Another one of those "fired head coach at right now and randomly got hot" teams.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Jets, Preds and Avs got worse, rest got better.

I don't see how we got worse tbh, especially when comparing our regular season teams.

We have 12 legit NHL forwards, finally a #2C and don't have to play scrubs like Ghetto, Bourque, Dries and Toninato regularly. The defense took a hit but Makar did not even play until the playoffs. Doubt we are getting ECHL level goaltending for 2 months straight either.

I don't see how many teams will be able to handle the Avs speed. It was already too much last year, but we are an even faster team next season.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

That Winnipeg defense is looking rough.

 

[Boulder Avalanche]

I see us as the third best team in the division. My quick thoughts.

Nashville while they have taken a step back since their finals appearance are the second best team to not win the cup following behind Tampa. The defense remains excellent even without Subban, but the questions are do Duchene and Johansen have the mental fortitude to make a deep run and how do you deal with Rinne’s age and the emergence of Saros.

I do not expect St.Louis to repeat, but I do see them easily making it into the playoffs due to a pretty intact roster and solving their goaltending problem. The question remains is if Binnington is the answer and if they can avoid a Stanley Cup hangover:

Colorado was close to making it to the Conference Final as a one line team. The addition of Kardi and Donskoi should improve their depth. Although losing Barrie and needing to rely on a younger blue line headlined by Makar might hurt them. Furthermore, can Grubauer keep up his excellent play and emerge as a goalie worthy on being on a contender.

Dallas remains the hardest team to forecast. They pushed the Stanley Cup champions to 7 games, but might be lacking in depth. Heiskanen is the real deal and I am still mad the Avalanche missed out on him by one spot (although Makar is a very nice piece).

Winnipeg probably had the second worst offseason (following Columbus who got absolutely gutted) due to losing key members of their blue line. Byfuglien is getting up there in age, and lack the cap space and assets to move in a key piece for a run. The window is still open for the Peg to finally bring back the cup to Canada, but a cap crunch and need to replace key pieces via ELCs makes it harder than in years past

Chicago’s hopes and dreams rely on if Crawford can stay healthy or if Lehner can continue his excellent play outside of the Barry Trotz system. They still have many of the key pieces from their three cup wins, but they are getting older and the defense merely average if not worse.

Minnesota is among the slowest and oldest teams in a league that is trending younger and faster. While the Suter contract is passable, the Parise contact is looking to be a massive chain around the Wild’s neck. Granlund being traded also has hurt the team. The Blues proved you can win even when everyone counted you out, but that is the only hope Minny has.

1)Nashville
2)St.Louis
3)Colorado
4)Dallas
5)Winnipeg
6)Chicago
7)Minnesota

 

[flyfysher]

Jets, Preds and Avs got worse, rest got better.

How are we worse? I don't see it. At all.

 

[TheForsbergShow]

I see us as the third best team in the division. My quick thoughts.

Nashville while they have taken a step back since their finals appearance are the second best team to not win the cup following behind Tampa. The defense remains excellent even without Subban, but the questions are do Duchene and Johansen have the mental fortitude to make a deep run and how do you deal with Rinne’s age and the emergence of Saros.

I do not expect St.Louis to repeat, but I do see them easily making it into the playoffs due to a pretty intact roster and solving their goaltending problem. The question remains is if Binnington is the answer and if they can avoid a Stanley Cup hangover:

Colorado was close to making it to the Conference Final as a one line team. The addition of Kardi and Donskoi should improve their depth. Although losing Barrie and needing to rely on a younger blue line headlined by Makar might hurt them. Furthermore, can Grubauer keep up his excellent play and emerge as a goalie worthy on being on a contender.

Winnipeg probably had the second worst offseason (following Columbus who got absolutely gutted) due to losing key members of their blue line. Byfuglien is getting up there in age, and lack the cap space and assets to move in a key piece for a run. The window is still open for the Peg to finally bring back the cup to Canada, but a cap crunch and need to replace key pieces via ELCs makes it harder than in years past.

Chicago’s hopes and dreams rely on if Crawford can stay healthy or if Lehner can continue his excellent play outside of the Barry Trotz system. They still have many of the key pieces from their three cup wins, but they are getting older and the defense merely average if not worse.

Minnesota is among the slowest and oldest teams in a league that is trending younger and faster. While the Suter contract is passable, the Parise contact is looking to be a massive chain around the Wild’s neck. Granlund being traded also has hurt the team. The Blues proved you can win even when everyone counted you out, but that is the only hope Minny has.

1)Nashville
2)St.Louis
3)Colorado
4)Winnipeg
5)Chicago
6)Minnesota

Ya I agree, stars just aren't good enough to rank

 

[forsbergavs32]

1. Nashville (Still solid D without Subban and better forward group, will likely have great reg. season success again)
2. Dallas (Forwards will carry them, defense looks pretty solid and goaltending is alright)
3. St. Louis (Will experience some Cup hangover and Binnington will have ups and downs)
4. Colorado (Better forward group and Makar and Byram help with the loss of Barrie, goaltending is the biggest ? imo)
5. Chicago (Defense and goaltending are a bit better, but they need the top forwards to carry the team)
6. Winnipeg (Defense looks much worse and if they trade Connor it won't help their forward situation, also lost their 2c)
7. Minnesota (slower, older team will struggle with the speed of the league)

 

[flyfysher]

Man... I'm cautiously optimistic about the season, but boy when you look at those rosters... we are so, so much faster than every single team in this division it isn't even funny. We're built completely differently.

I know the Avs are a fast team but with the roster changes, we got even faster, right? That's hard to believe. We are going to be so hard to handle I'm being serious in asking because I haven't been watching these players.

 

[Ivan13]

How are we worse? I don't see it. At all.

Barrie >> Kadri
Kerfoot > Burakovsky
Soderberg > Donskoi
Bellamare is an upgrade on the 4th line
EJ just had shoulder surgery
Cole had double hip scope
We have one of the least proven goalie tandems in the league

Yes we added Makar, but unlike some, I won't lose my mind and proclaim him a top pairing D until he actually proves that. Our forwards rank improved by addition of Kadri, our defense got markedly worse since we lost our best D, and two more guys who started the season as top 4 D in EJ (no idea how he will look after shoulder surgery, but history isn't on our side) and Cole (lord have mercy). We will basically have an unproven rookie playing top pair minutes, and the 2nd best RHD on the team not counting EJ who might miss the start of the season is Nicolas Meloche or Connor Timmins. One guy couldn't make it out of the AHL and beat out Alt, the other missed year and a half with concussion.

 

[flyfysher]

Barrie >> Kadri
Kerfoot > Burakovsky
Soderberg > Donskoi
Bellamare is an upgrade on the 4th line
EJ just had shoulder surgery
Cole had double hip scope
We have one of the least proven goalie tandems in the league

Yes we added Makar, but unlike some, I won't lose my mind and proclaim him a top pairing D until he actually proves that. Our forwards rank improved by addition of Kadri, our defense got markedly worse since we lost our best D, and two more guys who started the season as top 4 D in EJ (no idea how he will look after shoulder surgery, but history isn't on our side) and Cole (lord have mercy). We will basically have an unproven rookie playing top pair minutes, and the 2nd best RHD on the team not counting EJ who might miss the start of the season is Nicolas Meloche or Connor Timmins. One guy couldn't make it out of the AHL and beat out Alt, the other missed year and a half with concussion.

Younger, faster, more skilled, more PO experience - I think you sell the Avs short. A lot. You also have Byram and Timmins.

 

[Ivan13]

Younger, faster, more skilled, more PO experience - I think you sell the Avs short. A lot.

So which of my assessment is wrong? Or are you just determined to look at this through rose colored glasses? And how exactly are we more skilled? By adding a bigger Andrighetto? Trading a top pair D for a 2nd liner? Replacing a #3C with a 3rd line winger? Bringing back Wilson? Losing two top 4 guys to injury? Yeah, we added Makar and he will now need to play on a top pair, let's wait a bit to see how he does there before we crown him as a top pair D based on a minute sample in which he was sheltered heavily.

Barrie deal makes us weaker this year, but adds longterm, because for some reason they weren't planning on extending him. At least they didn't lose him for nothing like Stastny.

 

[flyfysher]

So which of my assessment is wrong? Or are you just determined to look at this through rose colored glasses? And how exactly are we more skilled? By adding a bigger Andrighetto? Trading a top pair D for a 2nd liner? Replacing a #3C with a 3rd line winger? Bringing back Wilson? Losing two top 4 guys to injury? Yeah, we added Makar and he will now need to play on a top pair, let's wait a bit to see how he does there before we crown him as a top pair D based on a minute sample in which he was sheltered heavily.

Barrie deal makes us weaker this year, but adds longterm, because for some reason they weren't planning on extending him. At least they didn't lose him for nothing like Stastny.

Barrie > Kadri - that depends on how important you think it is to have a second line that can score
Kerfoot > Burakovsky - no, not in terms of fit on the team and ability to develop
Soderberg > Donskoi - no, Donskoi is definitely younger and faster. I would have been willing to extend Soderberg but was shocked how he disappeared in the PO.
Byram and Timmins aside from Makar make Barrie expendable.
Agree with you about the goalies.

Now explain to me how keeping Barrie helps fill the hole on the second line, saves us a bunch of cap space, saves a protected slot in the upcoming entry draft, keeps our salaries low and positions the team well to deal with expiring contracts and possible OS? Because like it or not, YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE BUSINESS SIDE OF HOCKEY. There's no avoiding it. When you can post a satisfactory explanation then we'll revisit the issue of whether the team is worse off.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Barrie >> Kadri
Kerfoot > Burakovsky
Soderberg > Donskoi
Bellamare is an upgrade on the 4th line
EJ just had shoulder surgery
Cole had double hip scope
We have one of the least proven goalie tandems in the league

Why even compare a defenseman and a center?

Kadri >> Soderberg
Donskoi >> Ghetto/Brassard
Bellamare >> Bourque
Burakovsky =< Kerfoot (Honestly I don't know, Kerfoot kinda sucked)
Makar << Barrie
Connauton < Nemeth
Francouz < Varlamov

Makar should be an addition imo because he did not even play a single regular season game. We are worse on defense but that should be expected, unless Makar absolutely lights it up and Girard takes the next step.

 

[flyfysher]

Why even compare a defenseman and a center?

I was discussing the issue with a Barrie fan boy. Doesn't that explain it all?

Barrie (by himself) >>> 2nd line

 

[Ivan13]

Barrie > Kadri - that depends on how important you think it is to have a second line that can score
In no world is a 2nd line center a more important or better player than first pair D.

Kerfoot > Burakovsky - no, not in terms of fit on the team and ability to develop

What development? What fit? Burakovsky is as seriously flawed one trick pony. Can skate fast north-south, afraid of contact, not a good shooter and not a good playmaker. A bigger Andrighetto. Dude should e penciled in on a 4th line for a contender, not as a top 6 winger.

Soderberg > Donskoi - no, Donskoi is definitely younger and faster. I would have been willing to extend Soderberg but was shocked how he disappeared in the PO.

Donskoi is a good player, Soderberg plays a more important position and is more skilled, but I guess he is off the team, so now we can slag him off and diminish how integral he was in us making the playoffs last two seasons.

Byram and Timmins aside from Makar make Barrie expendable.

Laughable when talking about next season.

Agree with you about the goalies.

Now explain to me how keeping Barrie helps fill the hole on the second line, saves us a bunch of cap space, saves a protected slot in the upcoming entry draft, keeps our salaries low and positions the team well to deal with expiring contracts and possible OS? Because like it or not, YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE BUSINESS SIDE OF HOCKEY. There's no avoiding it. When you can post a satisfactory explanation then we'll revisit the issue of whether the team is worse off.

My point is that the on-ice product will be worse next year, but I guess I should've made that more clear in a thread where we talk about Avs in 19/20. I have no idea why you rabble on about business when I said that long-term we are better off since Barrie wasn't in their plans for some odd reason. There have been plenty of other options to help the 2nd line over the years. my answers above in italic. As for the expansion draft, what a daft reason that would be to trade a player on a team that has a handful of guys worth protecting.

 

[Ivan13]

I was discussing the issue with a Barrie fan boy. Doesn't that explain it all?

Barrie (by himself) >>> 2nd line

And responses like these show how far gone some are. You can't even have a honest argument without childish nonsense. Like 12 year olds.

 

[flyfysher]

My point is that the on-ice product will be worse next year, but I guess I should've made that more clear in a thread where we talk about Avs in 19/20. I have no idea why you rabble on about business when I said that long-term we are better off since Barrie wasn't in their plans for some odd reason. There have been plenty of other options to help the 2nd line over the years. my answers above in italic. As for the expansion draft, what a daft reason that would be to trade a player on a team that has a handful of guys worth protecting.

1. You can take the expansion draft factor as the icing on the cake that makes Barrie expendable.
2. I still don't think the Avs are weaker on ice by any means. If anything. they're faster and more skilled and balanced as a team. Speed kills.
3. We've got a whole season to play to prove our points. Your gut says the Avs are weaker on paper. My experience tells me that you are being way too premature. That's why the game is played

 

[Ivan13]

1. You can take the expansion draft factor as the icing on the cake that makes Barrie expendable.
2. I still don't think the Avs are weaker on ice by any means. If anything. they're faster and more skilled and balanced as a team. Speed kills.
3. We've got a whole season to play to prove our points. Your gut says the Avs are weaker on paper. My experience tells me that you are being way too premature. That's why the game is played

They are more skilled up front, but do tell how are they more skilled at the back? Or overall?

 

[flyfysher]

And responses like these show how far gone some are. You can't even have a honest argument without childish nonsense. Like 12 year olds.

Lighten up. Frankly I caught the point about your comparing Barrie and Kadri before TPS brought it up but I didn't bring it up because it wasn't worth pointing out. But truly, that's not even comparable. Now, you might want to explain your rationale on that because to address it in a thoughtful, adult manner, that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

 

[Ivan13]

Lighten up. Frankly I caught the point about your comparing Barrie and Kadri before TPS brought it up but I didn't bring it up because it wasn't worth pointing out. But truly, that's not even comparable. Now, you might want to explain your rationale on that because to address it in a thoughtful, adult manner, that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Imagine comparing two players essentially traded for one another. How about this, the loss of Barrie will be far more noticeable on the defensive side,than the addition of Kadri on the offensive side.